Three-sport star cherishes Hall call
When he was growing up, Richard Carlberg imagined playing a college sport. But the Oakmont High School three-sport standout never thought he would be inducted into the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
"It never crossed my mind," Carlberg said. "Knowing how rich the talent is in the (A-K) Valley, it is a great honor. There have been some great ones that have played in this Valley."
Carlberg and seven others will be inducted into the hall of fame May 17 during a ceremony and dinner at the Clarion Hotel in New Kensington.
Carlberg set virtually every basketball record at Oakmont High, now Riverview, before he graduated in 1964. Among his many accomplishments was setting the school's career scoring record with 1,350 points.
"Back then, I didn't think anything of it," Carlberg said. "It wasn't really that special to me. That was before the 3-point line, too."
The 6-foot-4 Carlberg made his coach's job easy, and presented challenges for opponents because he was so versatile. He played all five positions on the court but felt most comfortable as a shooting guard.
Carlberg also broke the school's single-game scoring record with 52 points. He remembers that game fondly. He admits he was in the "zone."
"I couldn't hear the crowd or anything, and I didn't realize that I was playing well," he said. "They just gave me the ball, and I would just shoot it."
While Carlberg excelled at basketball, he kept busy in the fall and spring playing football and running track. Carlberg made a name for himself on the gridiron as an exceptional punter.
His said his most memorable game was when he backed up Blairsville High School by averaging 53 yards per punt on eight punts.
"It may sound strange, but that is one of my fondest memories," Carlberg said.
Carlberg, who lettered in all three sports his sophomore, junior and senior years, also left his mark in track and field. The speedster broke the school's 100-meter dash record with a time of 10.2 seconds. But his most memorable event was the mile relay.
"(When I was) a junior, we had three very good quarter-mile runners," he said. "There were some great track athletes in those days."
Carlberg's mile relay team placed first in the WPIAL and second in the state his junior year.
Excelling at all three sports put Carlberg on college scouts' radar. He was recruited by Boston College, Pitt, Penn State and South Carolina, among others.
"Penn State recruited me when Joe Paterno was still an assistant," Carlberg said.
But in the end, Carlberg chose to stay close to home and attended Duquesne to play basketball.
"When I chose to go to Duquesne, they were the number five winningest program of all time," he said. "They had one of the top 10 business schools in the country, too, so I though it was a pretty good mix."
Carlberg quickly realized how competitive college sports were when Duquesne coach Red Manning ordered the freshmen to cover standout Willie Somerset on the first day of practice.
"You go to a big school and you play against seniors that have been there for a couple of years, and realize how far you have to go," Carlberg said.
Carlberg's athletic accomplishments didn't end after he graduated from Duquesne. With the help of a letter campaign from longtime friend and current Springdale football coach Chuck Wagner, Carlberg was invited to a Green Bay Packers' tryout camp as a punter.
In an era when the punter was expected to do much more than punt, Carlberg made it to the final cut before the Packers decided to stick with their star running back, Donnie Anderson, as the punter.
"I remember Bart Starr coming up to me and shaking my hand and saying, 'Rich, I'm glad to see you back, and I hope you make the team,'" Carlberg said. "It was an experience. I know that some kids have my autograph."
But in the end it wasn't Carlberg's individual records or even the team records that he cherishes most. It is the friends he made along the way.
"The games you win feel good for a fleeting moment, but it's the relationships I'm most proud of, particularly in college," he said.
Additional Information:
A-K Hall of Fame banquet
When, where: 7 p.m. May 17 ยท Clarion Hotel, New Kensington
Tickets : $20. No tickets sold at the door
Contact : Al Uskuraitis, 724-727-7259
